After approximately 14 hours of traveling, we finally made it to Europe! Our very first stop: Vienna, Austria (also known as the capital of Europe for its wealth and centrality).

As tired as we were, the beauty of the city put us in awe and gave us the strength to explore. We broke off into groups and got to explore the city’s attractions such as St. Stephen's Cathedral, which was built in the 13th century, and the parliamentary buildings.

Most of us enjoyed lunches at small cafés, tried some Weiner Snitzel (which is really just fried meat), or some delicious Austrian hotdogs.

Afterwards, we rode the metro to Schonbrunn Palace and strolled through its vibrantly green gardens. Then, we rode a bus to Maribor, Slovenia where we arrived at our hotel. We were served meatballs and potatoes for dinner. Everyone was saying that it was so flavorful and reminded them of home. It was the perfect pre-game day meal, for tomorrow afternoon we take on the Slovenian Girl’s Junior National Team. After a long but great day, I know we will all sleep well!

Jeme Obeime’s Thoughts Day 1: “The history of Europe is so interesting, and it’s awesome that its architecture can be preserved so greatly. I love how everyone is so kind and supportive here. And I love their accents. And I love gelato.” -J-